Foxes and Rats

[annierose]

Does anyone use peppermint oil in the chicken coop area to repel rats? If so, do you buy the peppermint oil from the supermarket or from a pest control company?

I've also heard there have been fox attacks during the daytime - 5-10km from my house. I live in a standard neigbourhood, all my neighbours at the back and to the side have dogs. My chickens freely run around the back garden.
I was thinking of purchasing one of the ultrasonic device to repel foxes. Something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product...s2&tag=ccd-content-21&linkId=KZ7R3CETBGQKWGRZ


thoughts?

 

[cmom]

I wouldn't count on it. I don't know of ways to repel them. I am rural on a dead end road. I have had rat issues in the past as well as fox during the day. I had so many rats that I resorted to poison in rat bait stations where only the rats could get to them. I put live traps out for the fox. I did eliminate a couple of fox. I baited the traps for a few days and let the fox take the bait then set the trap and caught the fox. On one fox after it killed several birds I used one of it's kills as bait and put leg traps around the body and caught the fox. I don't think you can repel them. If they get the chance when you least expect them they will make their move. They like to lurk and look for an opportunity. The fox I have caught were mangy and stinky. I also have game cameras up in different places on my property and after I eliminated them I got pictures of more on my cameras. Just my opinion.

 

[Al Gerhart]

The rats come to eat your chicken feed. Fix that first with a treadle feeder, then the rats will leave and forage for natural food and the foxes will be out hunting the rats. Setting up a free buffet is a bad idea for all involved.

 

[annierose]

The rats come to eat your chicken feed. Fix that first with a treadle feeder, then the rats will leave and forage for natural food and the foxes will be out hunting the rats. Setting up a free buffet is a bad idea for all involved.

treadle feeder - i will be getting this soon.
i've removed all food and water at dusk, if i leave it any later before its completely dark I will find a mouse in the hen house.
Peppermint oil doesn't appear to have done anything ... but it's made the coop smell good so thats fun.
Figured out that it is not rats as i've only seen mice. I set an electric trap in our nearby shed and caught one mouse in 48 hours.

I brought galvanise trash cans: https://www.bunnings.com.au/pinnacle-55l-bin_p4520089
All food goes in here and pine shaving in another. I still have to keep it in the hen house. The bin lids are tightly tied down.
The mouse droppings have definitely decreased

thanks everyone